By LIAM TWOMEY
ZAC Thame has always been at home on the ice.
Growing up in Newcastle, the teenager played rugby league and soccer before his mother tried to get him into figure skating.
That attempt fell short but it was another game that attracted Thame’s attention, ice hockey.
Since then the rising star has continued to develop in the sport and progressed through the junior ranks.
Earlier this year Thame and his parents relocated to Point Cook and it wasn’t long before it became a case of Newcastle’s loss was the Western Suburbs’ gain.
Thame has been selected in the Victorian under-18 side, which will compete for a national championship in Adelaide this year.
After initially being encouraged to try out for the side by his coach, the Year 12 student was rapt when he found out the news and is aiming high for the tournament.
“I think there were three or four weeks of tryouts to see how everyone went and then the team was picked two weeks ago,” he said.
“This year the team has changed a lot but it is still a good team and we think we can still win.
“The goal will definitely be to win the whole tournament but I’d also like to have a good personal tournament as well.”
More than just his skills on the ice, Thame will bring a unique insight into the way juniors from over the border are developed and he already has a trick or two up his sleeve for his former state when the two meet.
“I can bring what I was taught in Newcastle to this Victorian team which is good. I’ll be happy to bring that experience,” he said.
“I’ll also be aiming to be one of the more physical players on the team.”
As Thame continues to hone his skills on the ice he is also attending Maribyrnong College with some of the most promising young athletes in the country.
While on campus he uses the school’s outstanding facilities to build his fitness base.
Outside of that training he is also involved in four or five sessions a week at either the Docklands Ice House or Oakleigh Ice Skating Rink.
Long term, the left winger is hoping to earn a spot in an American college program.
“The first thing they look at is academics and then on player performance,” he said.
“I’ve done the SAT and that is the goal. It is pretty hard to get into over there but I’ve been told that there could be a chance with division two schools so that is my aim at the moment.”
Any local businesses or organisations in the area that could assist Zac with sponsorship would be much appreciated and should contact Andrew Thame on 0422 851 994.
